How is your lenten journey going? I have found praying on my knees being a huge blessing so far. I have been praying that God would open my eyes to see my hidden sins. Those things that are not pleasing to God but I am unable to see myself. This morning when I was searching for another book I came across Gail Godwin’s novel “Evensong”. I could not help but notice a couple sticky notes peeking out of the book…
Are you serving out of love? Or are you helping people because you expect a praise or a reward? Do you ask -like Jesus- “What do you want me to do?” Or is your motivation based on what you can get out of the situation/relationship? It’s time for a motivation check-up. Why do you serve? Or should I ask: Who do you serve?Don’t work to make yourself look good and try to flatter people, but act like slaves of Christ…
“The New Testament word for repentance means changing one’s mind so that one’s views, values, goals, and ways are changed and one’s whole life is lived differently”, J.I. Packer states. “The change is radical, both inwardly and outwardly; mind and judgment, will and affections, behavior and lifestyle, motives and purposes, are all involved. Repenting means starting a new life.” Lent is a blessed time: we can slow down and actively reflect on our spiritual journey. We can chance the course…
Happy Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday! Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday that marks the beginning of Lent. The season of Lent is a special time when we are called to prepare our hearts and minds to Easter. Some people give up something (meat, sweets, TV etc) for Lent and some take something on (f.e. a certain spiritual discipline) for this period of 40 days before Easter. The main idea is to seek God and let him show what areas of our lives need…
Throughout this season of Lent I’ve been trying to ready myself for Easter joy by praying, fasting, and listening to God. Today I will share the biggest repentance trigger of my Bible readings this Lent. Does this speak to you as loud as it did for me? Then Jesus went with them to a garden called Gethsemane and told his disciples, “Stay here while I go over there and pray.” Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he…
Last Sunday our family was leaving church without attending the coffee hour because it was already 11.30am. I was explaining our children that there were no lunch served just coffee and dessert this time. Our son responded saying “Right, they served the main course in the worship.” Pretty profound theology for a 5-year old! This exchange came into my mind while reading the 10th chapter of Luke in the Message. The story of Martha, Mary & Jesus got a whole…
We are halfway through Lent already! The first half is over and now it’s time to evaluate how we are doing. How are we doing with our resolutions? Has anything changed? What has God been teaching us? Have we learned something? Have a seat! I will share how my journey has been going and I would love to hear about your experiences! I guess fasting in any form brings us little distress. That is a good think if we use…
Are you a friend of grace or a stranger to grace? I don’t know anything more liberating, more exhilarating and more exuberant than God’s abundant grace. In grace the whole salvation story comes together and starts to bloom. Grace is so wonderful, amazing, powerful, wild but gentle that it tames me over and over again. It embraces me and woes me for God time after time. It surprises me, it encourages me, it corrects me, it renews me, it treats…
Don’t let the fear of religious rituals keep you away from experiencing the blessings of Lent! The fear is needed to keep us on toes when it comes to practicing piety. There are great dangers in empty religious rituals. Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don’t make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won’t be applauding. (Matthew 6:1, MSG) But the solution is…
God cares about sin with fiery passion. Sin kills. We are all doomed. But this is not the end of the story. We are called back to God! We are called to repent! To turn around from our sinful ways. To turn back to God and embrace his ways. Because God has better things in store for us. God has prepared a path back to his presence in Christ Jesus. Because of Jesus we can by repenting our sins be…
